We're eating lunch on the roof. I'm not even sure if we're allowed to be up here, but here we are anyway. I thought it was a shame to let such a nice roof, and such a nice view go to waste. And besides, I also figure that if we really were going to get into such big trouble for coming up here then Luo would not have allowed it, and he's here, sitting next to my students, eating lunch.

At one point I stand up and face them. "I've come to realize," I start, continuing once I'm sure I have their attention. "That I don't really know your goals, even though you are my students and that's probably the first thing I should have asked about, knowing I would be training you. So," I point at Asuka, the youngest, "What are you're plans for the future?"

"I want to be a doctor." she answers timidly. "Or a nurse, whichever I can manage."

"Do you have ninja training?"

She blushes under my scrutiny. I just hope I don't make her cry. "No." she answers, even more quietly than the last.

"Do you like me?" I ask.

She looks up at me. She looks surprised. "Yes."

"Good!" I point at Kenta next. "And you, what do you want?"

"To be a doctor." he answers, but I don't buy it.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I think you're lying to me." I say, glaring at him. "You should know better than to lie to me Kenta."

He sighs. "Alright, so I don't really want to be a doctor, that's just what everyone else wants from me. What I really want is to own a restaurant of my own."

"Hm." I rub my chin thoughtfully. "What kind of restaurant?"

"A restaurant that sells all kinds of foods. Sushi, and onigiri, and dombori and oden."

"And ramen?" I ask, aware of the importance of ramen.

He nods. "And ramen."

"A noble venture." I tell him, patting him on the shoulder. "But don't tell your parents I said so. No matter what. Even if it seems like a good idea to you; like it might help you to convince them – don't tell them."

He nods, looking a little frightened.

"Do you have any ninja training?" I ask.

He bows his head. "Sort of," he says, "I failed the academy tests, so I couldn't go on."

"Do you like me?" I ask, acting as though I hardly even notice his feelings of failure.

"Yes."

"You next Junko." I say, turning to point at her quickly.

"Yes sensei! My name is Saito Junko, and I want to be a doctor when I grow up! I want to help people, and I have no ninja training, and yes, I do like you very much!"

I pause, a little surprised at her unexpected but concise outburst. "Yes, thank you Junko. That was informative."

She smiles at me. I notice a bit of her lunch is stuck to her cheek. How adorable! I pretend to scratch my cheek to cover a smile.

Next is Mai. "And you Mai? Do you also want to be a doctor then?"

"Not quite sensei." she replies.

"What do you want then?"

"I want to be like you." she says.

"So you have ninja training then?"

She nods. Kenta speaks up then.

"She was in my class for a while. She did very well at the academy."

I nod. "She must have, to have made it this far at such a young age. You're all pretty smart you know, to be here at your ages." I tell them, understating it a little. They're all basically geniuses. I've come to realize that now, and even though I have more students than ninja teachers usually have, I know now that I have it easier than they do, teaching such smart, mature children. Now I can really sympathize with Kakashi, having to teach us when we were so little and… well, annoying.

Junko has her hand in the air, looking at me with an exited look on her face. She's biting her bottom lip so hard I'm afraid she's going to make herself bleed.

"Yes Junko?" I ask.

"I want to be like you too sensei." she says, exhaling happily. I try not to laugh at her, so as not to hurt her feelings. It wouldn't be a mean laugh, just because I find her to be so cute, but I'm not sure she would take it that way.

"But you said you have no ninja training."

"I know." she says, "I just meant that I want to be a teacher like you, not a medic, using chakra and all those things. I'm no good at those things."

I nod. "Well, taking all these things into consideration…" I shrug. "I guess I'll have to help you guys get what you want. And for that we need to get back to work soon."

"Wait a minute." Luo pipes up. He's been silent all long, as usual. I'll bet he fancies himself to be one of those strong silent types. "What about me?" he asks.

"What about you?"

"Aren't you going to ask me about my goals?"

I sigh, and shrug again. "Ok Luo. It's your turn now. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Married." he replies with a grin. I raise an eyebrow at him, quite unimpressed with his answer.

"Oh? You think you'll be able to find someone who would marry you?"

He puts a hand to his heart and makes a mock hurt face. "Ouch. My heart, it hurts. Help me guys," he says, addressing the students, "you sensei has stabbed me in the heart! I might need to be operated on."

They laugh, and Junko even climbs on him and puts an ear to his chest. She backs off shaking her head, and looks at me.

"I think you've killed him sensei." she says gravely.

I can't help; I crack up. Then I shake my head, "You really shouldn't encourage him, Junko," I scold her. "He'll only get worse."

"She's right you know." Luo says, nodding.

"Really guys, it's time to get back to work." I say, after kicking him none too gently. "Seri is going to come after us soon. If you remember one thing I teach you, remember this: never make your supervisor look for you. Especially if your supervisor is Seri."

Later that day I'm the one looking for Seri. All the students have gone home for the day, so I figure it's time for that check up she told me to get.

I knock on the door to her office, but she doesn't answer, so I look in to see if she's actually not there or just not answering.

Seri isn't there, but there's a man and woman talking in her office. They're standing very close to each other, looking like they're about to jump each other actually. I open the door, and stare for about half a second before closing it again.

I turn away from the door, a little out of sorts. I've seen the two of them around before, just in the hospital, but I don't really know who they are. I don't know what they're doing with each other, alone in Seri's office, that's for sure.

Luo watches me as I stand outside the door, waiting. I don't know what I'm waiting for, but I have a feeling I should be waiting, and so I'm waiting.

Sure enough, I soon hear footsteps approaching, and Seri comes around the corner, and with her is the Kazekage.

Uh oh.

I don't know what to do. Should I warn the people inside? Delay Seri and Gaara maybe. Why did she have to come now? Part of me just wants to watch the look on their faces when Seri and Gaara walk in on those two; that would be classic. But that would also be mean.

I open the door again a little bit, knowing that I'm hidden from Seri's view by Luo and peek in on the two inside. They didn't seem to notice me last time, but they do when I open the door a second time.

"Just thought you might like to know Seri is coming." I tell them quietly, and then close the door again, just as Seri sees me.

"Ah, Sakura." she greets me. "Come for your check up?" she asks.

I eye Gaara, waiting for him to make fun of me, or acknowledge the fact that I too have to go for check ups, but he doesn't bat an eyelid. "Um... yes." I answer Seri. "I was actually just checking now to see if you were in, but you weren't in there, since, well, you're here."

Mentally I'm kicking myself. I sound like such an idiot! Gaara must be laughing at me now. He's doing it in his head, I'm sure of it.

Seri smiles. "Let's go in shall we? I just have a little matter to discuss with Gaara, but you can join us. It actually concerns you, so it's nice and convenient that you're here." And then she walks past me and opens the door before I can react.

I stand and look away, waiting for some reaction from Seri, but she just walks into her office. After a little bit of silence I look up. Gaara is standing beside me, waiting. Waiting for what I wonder.

He makes a small motion, showing me into the office, and I realize he's just waiting for me to go in. How… chivalrous?

I'm confused.

I walk in and take a seat, Gaara sits next to me, and Seri sits across from us, behind her desk. I look around surreptitiously. There's no sign of the other two at all. They must have escaped somehow.

"So, Sakura." Seri says, leaning forward with her elbows planted on her desk. I look nervously over at Gaara. For some reason this seating arrangement makes me feel like we're in couples counseling. "Recently three nins narrowly escaped death during an ambush in the desert. You were the one who brought them here, correct?"

I nod.

"And did they tell you who attacked them?"

I shake my head. "They could hardly speak when I found them."

Gaara frowns. I wonder if I've said something wrong, but I'm afraid to ask.

"You're probably wondering what this is about." Seri says, "But we just need to ask a few more questions."

"Sure."

"Just about their wounds, did they seem strange to you?" Seri asks.

I shrug. Gaara is staring at me now, and it's making me very self conscious. "There was a lot of blood, I couldn't really see…"

"But you knew." Seri said, not as a question. And she's right. I knew.

"Their wounds were genuine enough, if that's what you're asking." I say. "The blood was real. One of men had a long gash in his leg, and they all had suffered head wounds. The worst off was the man I carried back. He was stabbed in the stomach. His organs were damaged." I have a sudden thought. "Why? He's not dead is he? He should have been able to survive that wound in any case – none of his vital organs were damaged."

"He's alive." Seri said, "You don't need to worry about that. He's even started talking a little."

"And?"

"They told us who attacked them." Seri said.

"Who was it?" I ask, "Or are you not going to tell me?"

"They said it was ninja from the Leaf village." Seri said. "They told us they were wearing Leaf headbands."

I stare at her, in shock. "That's impossible." I say at last. And I know it is impossible. "We can hardly even protect ourselves in our own country, let alone come out here to attack others. We just don't have the resources at this time to start a war. And that's completely ignoring the treaties we've signed with your country." I turn to Gaara. "With your country, that is."

He nods. "We know that." he says. When he doesn't say anything else I turn back to Seri.

"So… what?"

She sighs. "I'm the only one they've talked to yet." she tells me. "No one else knows about this. But I don't know how long we can keep this from everyone. I've told them not to tell anyone else just yet, that I wanted to discuss this with the Kazekage and others before it became public knowledge, and they've agreed. We can't believe them true, but we can't disprove them either, unless we can prove there's something wrong with them."

"There is." Gaara says fiercely. I stare at him a little, surprised by his intensity.

"We can't prove anything." Seri says practically. "There's no way to prove that they're lying. They're not under the influence of any jutsu that we can see, so what can we do?"

She shrugs. "Keep it quiet." I say. "Give us a little more time to figure it out. There's got to be something we can do."

Seri nods. Gaara stands. "I have to go to a meeting now." he says. "We will talk later." And then he leaves. I watch Seri for a little while, wondering what to say, what to do.

"So…" I suggest, "Maybe we should do that check up some other time."

Seri had been staring into space, but at my comment she focused in on me. "Oh no, you won't get out of it that easily. You're getting a check up right now, no matter how much you don't like it."